Coin-controlled vending-machine.



No.758,180.- I PATENTEDAPR.26,1904.

' M. HOFHEIMBR.

GUIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

urmonmn rum) APR. 4, 190a.

.NO MODEL.

THE cams PETERS Puma-ammo WASHKNGTON, u. c

UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT- OFFICE.

MAURICE HOFHEIMER, orNEw'YoRK, N. Y., AssIoNoR To UNITED STATES VENDINGCORPORATION, A- CORPORATION OF MAINE. I

COIN-CONTRQLLED VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 758,180, dated April26, 1904.

Application filed April d, 1903 Serial No. 151,060. (No model.)

To all whom it, may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAURICE HOFHEIMER, of New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Coin-Controlled Vending-Machines; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

v The object of this invention is to provide in a coin-controlledvending-machine improved means for ejecting the articles of merchandisefor locking the cash-drawer and for detecting and throwing asidespurious slugs or coin.

A further object is to provide a vendingmachine possessing manyadvantages in point of simplicity, durability, inexpensiveness, andcertainty of operation.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set' forth, and particularlypointed out in the tional view of the castings removed from the casing.Fig. 4 isa view of the ejector. Fig. 5 is a view of the slug-detector.Fig. 6 is a detail.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the inclosing casing, wherein ismounted a frame or casting 2, having a flat shelf 3, above which are themerchandise-holding chutes 4:, which may be of any desired number and ofthe same or different sizes, andthey are preferably connected togetherby cross-pieces 5. In the drawings I have shown two supply-chutes andtwo corresponding ejectors; but as a matter of convenience only one needbe described. Beneath the supply-chute within the shelf is an opening 6,wherein a coin is designed to be held-until the lowermost article withwhich it is in Contact is ejected from the shelf, the width of suchopening being slightly greater than the diameter of the coin. The latteris supported by a bevel-faced tooth 7 of an ejectorplate 8, such platebeing adjustably secured by a screw 9 on apush-ro'd 10, extendedtransversely through casting 2. The plate is guided in its movements bythe side walls of opening 6. To the rear end of this push-rod is secureda right-angular finger 12, the upper horizontal portion of which is inline with shelf 3, with the result that the lowermost article isretained'in proper position until ejected, the forward edge of thearticle being held against such finger by the coin resting on tooth 7.From the lower end ofthis finger projects a lug 13, which uponcontacting withthe rear of the casting serves as a stop to limitthereturn movement of the ejector and push-rod under the tension of-acoil-spring 14. (Shown as secured at its rear end to finger 12.) Fromplate 8 extends a rib 15, which serves to prevent the Coin from fallingbehind the ejector in case the push-rod 10 is forced forward tooquickly. Normally the ejector-plate is about on the same vertical planewith the lower end of a beveled wall 16, extending upwardly from casting2, and when pushed forward travels evenly in Opening 6, as does also thecoin; but when the article is free of the supportingshelf the coin,being deprived of its forward support, will fall from the tooth 7. 17designates a second frame or casting pivotally secured at its lower endto the front of casting 2. It is formed at about the center of its upperedge with a slot or cut-out 18 and flange 19, against which fits thelower edge of an inclosing door 20. This door at its center has a tenon21, which fits within slot or cut-out 1 8, the door at its other endbeing secured tothe casingl by lock 22. Thus in order to gain acessftothe interior of the machine lock 22 must be first operated and the doormoved, so as to lift its tenon from the hinged casting. In the frontwall of this casting are Coin-inlet openings 23, and immediatelycoincident with such openings are the ends of a plate 24, secured to therear face of ings will fall from the passage ways onto the beveled wall16 and pass between the latter and the lower front cross-piece 5, andthereby be directed onto the supporting-tooth'of the ejector. I haveshown beveled ribs 25 and 26 on the rear face of wall 16 to aid inguiding the coin, the ribs 26 also serving to guide the slugs away fromthe ejector-opening. Once a coin is guided into the ejector it isloosely supported between the side edges of the opening in thesupporting-shelf and held between the ejector-plate and the vendiblearticle. These side edges in the supportingshelf also serve to guide theejector in its forward and rearward movements. When the pusher-rod isforced rearward, the coin and article travel with it; but as soon as thearticle falls off of shelf 3 and the pushing-rod is released the coinbeing deprived of the support of the article immediately falls from thetooth into the cash-drawer 27. This cashdrawer is supported by oppositeguideways 28 and is equipped with an inner shouldered lug 29, with whichengages a pin 30, movable vertically in a boss 31 of casting 2. When thehinged casting 17 is in its normal position, a lug 32 thereof isdirectly above pin 30, thereby preventing the latter from being raisedout of engagement with the drawer-lug 29. To remove the cash-drawer, itis necessary to first turn the hinged casting forward and hold the pin30 elevated out of line of movement of the drawer-lug.

33 designates a magnetized rod secured to the under side of theoverhanging portion of casting 17 by plates 34, which are preferablymade of non-magnetic material. The rightangular ends of this rod areabout in line with the coin passage-way, so that upon the deposit of aspurious coin in the form of an iron or steel slug or washer the sameinstead of jumping from the passage-way across to the beveled wall 16will be attracted by the projecting end of the magnetized rod, aroundwhich it will partially revolve, as shown in Fig. 5, until by weight itdrops therefrom to one side of the wall 16 and rib 26, from whence itmay fall into the cash-drawer without in any way engaging with theejector.

The advantages of my invention are apparent. It will be seen that theparts are extremely simple both in construction and operation. It willalso be noted that the ejector is composed of but few parts, insuringthe ejection of the merchandise by the presence of the'coin' andallowing the latter to fall by its own weight once the merchandise isforced from thesupporting-shelf.

I claim as my invention 1. A coin-controlled vending-machine having asupporting-shelf formed with an openejector comprising a spring-heldrod, a plate carried thereby with its face normally in the same plane assuch guideway, said plate fitting in said opening and having a supportupon which the coin rests while being moved with the ejectorlongitudinally through the opening, and means movable with the ejectorbetween which and the coin the article of merchandise is designed tofit, the retention of such coin on its support being dependent upon itsengagement With'such article of merchandise, as set forth.

2. A coin-controlled vending-machine having a supporting-shelf formedwith an opening, a spring-held rod movable transversely to the shelf, aplate secured on such rod having a tooth beveled on its upper faceforming a support for a coin, said plate fitting in and guided by saidopening. and a finger carried by such rod and extending in line withsaid shelf, the article of merchandise being designed to fit betweensaid finger and the plate, as set forth.

3. The combination with the casting having a supporting-shelf formedwith an opening, of a spring held rod movable transversely through thecasting, a plate secured on such rod having a tooth beveled on its upperface, said plate fitting in and guided by said opening, a finger carriedby such rod extended in line with said shelf, the space between saidfinger and plate being designed to accommodate the articles ofmerchandise, and a stop for limiting the return movement of said rod, asset forth.

4. The combination with the casting having a supporting-shelf formedwith an opening and a beveled wall, the width of said opening beingslightly greater than the diameter of the coin, of an ejector movablewithin and guided by such opening having a beveled tooth forming thesupport for a coin, a finger carried by the ejector in line with suchshelf, the space between said finger and ejector being designed toaccommodate the articles of merchandise, and a second casting pivotallysecured to the first-mentioned casting and having acoin inlet andpassage-way opening above said wall, as set forth.

5. The combination with the casting having a su pporting-shelf formedwith an opening and a beveled wall, of an ejector movable within suchopening having a beveled tooth forming the support for a coin, and afinger carried by the ejector in line with said shelf, the space betweensaid finger and ejector being designed to accommodate the articles ofmerchandise, a second casting pivotally secured to the firstmentionedcasting and having a coin inlet and passage-way opening above said wall,and a supply-chute having a cross-piece opposite the lower portion ofsaid beveled wall, as set forth.

6. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, a supporting-shelf having anopening, an ejector having an upright plate movable in said opening anda coin-support beneath but in line with such opening, the coin restingon such support being in engagement wlth the side article to be ejectedand between such article and said plate, such coin being dependent uponsuch article for its retention on such support, as set forth.

In testirnony whereof I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribedges of the opening whlle 1n contact Wlth the ingWitnesses.

MAURICE HOFHEIMER.

Witnesses:

.CHAs. L. MEYER, S. MARSHALL KRONHEIMER.

